The Montreal Impact had their work cut out for them following another disappointing MLS season where they finished dead-last in the league standings with just six wins 28 points.
The early indications from this offseason are that the club is headed in the right direction as Montreal has already acquired six new players that should shore up the squad. The transformation continues as they try and shape a roster that gave fans little to cheer about a year ago, but it does look like coach Frank Klopas will come through on his promise and deliver a better product to Impact fans next season.
Changing Of The Guard
The Impact entered this offseason with their defense being the biggest area of need. They have been making changes, which includes the addition of Victor Cabrera, who was signed from Argentina on a loan that will make him available to the club for the entire 2015 MLS season. Cabrera is another quality piece that slides in to the center of a Montreal defense that gave up far too many costly goals. They allowed 58 in 34 games last season, which was tied for the most with the Houston Dynamo.
Cabrera’s impact can’t be underestimated – especially in tandem with the addition of Bakary Soumare. The latter was added earlier in the offseason via the reentry draft and this duo should give the Impact a solid tandem in the middle of their defense for next season.
There have been reports that Montreal is still looking to add one more piece to the back end but whether or not that player will be an immediate starter or used to fill a depth role is uncertain.
The Search For A Striker
Klopas has talked openly about the club’s desire to find a quality striker that can help ease the pressure up front. The Impact made a splash when they selected forward Romario Williams with the third overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft and they have to be happy with what he can bring to the table. The 18-year-old scored 17 goals in 34 games at Central Florida over the last two seasons and he should be a good fit. He was named after the Brazilian legendary striker, Romario, and he can deliver performances that are remotely similar, Montreal will be thrilled.
While Romario is a solid addition that will help both in the short and long term, the rumors of acquiring a striker with their second designated player spot haven’t died down. Montreal has already been rumored to be interested in Italian international striker Alberto Gilardino. Rumors have been rampant, some even suggesting that a deal was done on Jan. 5. However, nothing is official yet.
The loss of Marco Di Vaio to retirement and the fact that his stint with the Impact worked out means it makes a lot of sense that they are willing to acquire Gilardino. The rumors don’t end there as Argentina international Juan Roman Riquelme is another option should Gilardino opt not to sign with Montreal.
Outlook
Based on the changes made so far, the Impact should at least be a better team on paper than they were a year ago when training camp opens next week. Their defense is already improved and if they can find another piece to – at the very – least shore up their depth on the back end, then that unit should be a lot better. The search for a striker will continue until Montreal finds a player that can not only fill the void left by DiVaio but perhaps even upgrade what he was able to do in his final season with the club.
The Impact are headed in the right direction. After last season, there’s really only one way for them to go. But with one or two more pieces still on the way, they could be ready to contend for an MLS playoff spot in the near future.
